A 51-year-old woman from Chicago, Clarisa Figueroa, has been given a 50-year prison term for the murder of a pregnant teenager nearly half a decade ago. She was accused of luring the teenager to her home and using a butcher knife to remove the baby from the victim’s womb.
The sentencing took place in a Cook County courtroom where Figueroa pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the 2019 case involving 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez.
Reports suggest that Figueroa convinced the nine-month pregnant Ochoa-Lopez to visit her residence on April 23, 2019, by offering free clothing for the unborn child. However, she then proceeded to strangle the victim with a cable.
Following the incident, Figueroa called 911 and falsely claimed she had given birth, stating that the newborn was not breathing. The baby passed away about two months later.
The husband of the victim, Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, Yovanny Lopez, expressed the impact of the tragedy on him and their older child, Joshua, who he mentioned has lost his mother forever.
He emotionally described the agony of holding his infant son for the last time, stating that justice would await Figueroa even after her death.
Investigations revealed that Figueroa, following the death of her adult son, falsely claimed to be pregnant, eventually leading to the gruesome act. She had reportedly planned for months to acquire a newborn, even going to the extent of sharing ultrasound images and photos of a baby nursery on social media.
In March 2019, she connected with Marlen Ochoa-Lopez through a Facebook group for expectant mothers.
Authorities discovered that Ochoa-Lopez had visited Figueroa’s home, and her car was found parked nearby two weeks after her disappearance.
It was confirmed through DNA tests that the baby taken from Ochoa-Lopez was not biologically related to Clarisa Figueroa.
Ochoa-Lopez’s body was found in a trash can outside Figueroa’s residence.
Figuring her boyfriend, Piotr Bobak, into believing he was the father of the child, Figueroa also tricked him. Bobak, who played a role in cleaning up the crime scene, was sentenced to four years in prison for obstruction of justice.
Desiree Figueroa, aged 29, received a 30-year jail term after pleading guilty to murder in January for her part in aiding her mother. As part of her plea deal, she also agreed to testify against Clarisa.